While Spring Break provides an often-welcome respite from the rigors of school, it also presents challenges for homeless children and families, leaving kids without a safe, adult-supervised place to be during the day. Recognizing the “gap” in child care that occurs during school holidays like Spring Break, Vogel offers Gap Camp – day camp for homeless children ages 5 to 12.

Our 2017 Spring Break Camp took place March 13-17 with 24 children attending. Emphasizing the importance of inner strength, self confidence and self control, the theme for Spring Break Camp 2017 was The HERO Within (Honesty, Empathy, Respect, Open-mindedness).

The children enjoyed outdoor activities like tennis, gardening, basketball, tag and playground time as well as arts and crafts and a field trip to the Dallas Arboretum Children’s Garden. They also engaged in projects that reinforced the theme of the week, such as compiling a list of HERO qualities and drawing a superhero self portrait.

Camper H.C., age 7, summed up what he learned at camp, saying, “If we all worked together, we would be unstoppable.”